Member Spotlight: Vinny Prezioso

What do you pair with food other than wine? Humor and a good time, of course! This is where Pun Pantry comes in, and we had the pleasure of interviewing one of the founders, Vinny! Let's ketchup with him and see what he's been up to with this project!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Vinny and I'm one of the founders of Pun Pantry. I'm a Boston, MA native and I went to Berklee College Of Music for Music Production & Guitar, so I've had a creative outlet for many years as a musician too.

2. How did the idea of pun pantry come about?

Myself and Patrick (another founder) were hanging with some friends at a burrito shop in Cambridge, MA and one of us blurted out, "Chicken KeBob Dylan", and from there, it was history. We spent the night making food and music puns, but it turned into Pop Culture, TV Shows, Movies, Celebrities, and more.

3. Describe working with your teammates, Patrick and Nick, in three words.

It's a very collaborative effort between the 3 of us. Nick handles 100% of the art and illustration, as Pat and I handle the operations, media, shipping, and recipe curation.

4. What would you say is one of the hardest challenges you had to overcome so far with launching Pun Pantry?

The hardest challenge so far was to truly dive in head first and put full-time work aside and put most of our time into Pun Pantry. Nick is based in LA now and Patrick and I are in Boston working part-time gigs in order to have plenty of time for Pun Pantry. The sacrifice is paying off, but it hasn't been easy so far.

5. What is one of the best memories you have so far of your journey with Pun Pantry?

My best memory so far was over the summer, when we vended on the Vans Warped Tour around the country. We got to meet so many new people that loved our brand and stayed in touch with us afterward. We woke up at a music fest every day and sold our products and took turns watching bands and artists. I can't think of a more fun way to spend the summer!

6. Is laughter the best medicine?

We believe laughter is the best ingredient AND medicine. We've seen the joy this brand brings so many people and so many generations around the world and we want to keep growing and expanding our product line and retail opportunities in the future. We'd love to break into more media and videos as well.

Thank you for your time, Vinny! There's nothing better than seeing people come together and having a good time, and Pun Pantry has definitely contributed to that. Everyone, please go support pun pantry by visiting their kickstarter (which is ending on Sunday!), instagram, and etsy!